The Interview Becomes the No.1 Online Movie Ever Released by Sony Pictures

There were tons of stories written and discussed about Sony Pictures’ controversial release of ‘The Interview’. Looks like all this free publicity has given Sony a good reason to celebrate. Earlier, there was fuss about Sony releasing The Interview online before it hit theatres as no one was sure how it will turn out.

Now the company has announced that The Interview made $15 million from online sales and rentals since its Christmas Eve release online. The film also made $2.8 million in theaters over the long Christmas weekend.

The Hollywood blockbuster, which follows a hapless TV host tasked with the assassinating Kim Jong-un, was originally intended to be released on roughly 3,000 screens on Christmas Day. It was expected to generate $20 million during its opening.

The studio said on Sunday the film had been purchased or rented online more than 2 million times on the four days through to Saturday, making it Sony Pictures’ No 1 online movie of all time. The comedy was at the center of a crippling security breach at Sony Pictures in November that resulted in an embarrassing spill of company secrets.

The announcement came few hours after ‘The Interview’ finally made its debut on Apple’s iTunes. The movie has been available since Wednesday on YouTube Movies, Google Play, Xbox and a dedicated Sony-built website, Seetheinterview.com. PlayStation Network and XBox Live also experienced some glitches in their server on Christmas Eve, after they started offering online streaming of the film.